Curved Solar Laminate Charging

Can curved solar panels capture sunlight better than flat ones?

Heat-shrinkable technology developed by an all-RIKEN team could allow solar cells and touch sensors to be attached to objects whose shapes make them challenging to laminate. Recent studies have indicated that curved solar-cell panels capture sunlight more efficiently than flat ones on cloudy days.

Can curved solar cells capture sunlight more efficiently?

Researchers from the Riken Center for Emergent Matter Science in Japan have developed heat-shrinkable polymers that can be used to laminate organic photovoltaic devices onto curved surfaces. They said that curved solar cells are able to capture sunlight more efficiently than conventional ones on cloudy days.

Are curved solar cells better than conventional solar cells?

They said that curved solar cells are able to capture sunlight more efficiently than conventional ones on cloudy days. “One way to produce curved electronics is with rubber-like substrates, but solar cells on such substrates usually have much lower performance,” they said.

Can heat-shrinkable polymers be used to laminate organic photovoltaic devices?

The process improves efficiency while minimizing damage to photovoltaic components. Researchers from the Riken Center for Emergent Matter Science in Japan have developed heat-shrinkable polymers that can be used to laminate organic photovoltaic devices onto curved surfaces.

How can we shrink prefabricated photovoltaic modules?

By controlling the size of these wrinkles and choosing materials capable of surviving both heat and severe wrinkling, the RIKEN team found they could shrink prefabricated organic photovoltaic modules onto round objects (Fig. 1) as well as ones with sharp angles and irregular curvatures, including plastic rocks and traditional Japanese Daruma dolls.

Can organic PV devices be laminated to Non-developable surfaces?

The organic PV devices can be laminated to several non-developable surfaces without loss of performance, claimed the scientists. They described their findings in “ Developing the Nondevelopable: Creating Curved-Surface Electronics from Nonstretchable Devices ,” which was recently published in Advanced Materials.